The city-sponsored event is the latest and largest community-building project of Noah-O, the singular entrepreneur who founded “inspiration through action” record label Charged Up Entertainment in 2002.

Since then he has built a empire based on recording, shoes, and multi-channel mentoring and leadership by example. The four-day Charged Up festival included a block party, bike ride, a basketball game, small business pitches, panels, producers, and a kaleidoscope of musical artists.

Over several nights and multiple venues, performers sprinted through high-energy, short duration sets, often 15 minutes or less. (Headliners got longer, but not that much longer.) “Hip-hop in Richmond is really blowing up to a whole new level,” said Osmond Chisholm, who performs as O-Z. “It’s getting really wild out here.”

All photos by Peter McElhinney.